Business profile
featuring rising flames to attract tourists, are just a few examples. Steve Lamb, Abacus’ new managing
director, said: ‘Competitors have attempted to implement alternative solutions but they lack the simplicity, durability and practicality of the Abacus product.’ The company was recently acquired
by a group of industrialists and financers and Lamb seeks to assure customers of the firm’s long-term viability. Lamb believes the company’s previous management were following an aggressive overseas expansion plan, which he says, was ‘ultimately flawed’. ‘Since we took over, we have made
immediate changes to focus on our core business segments one of which is rail, and Lamb believes the company’s clients should remain the priority. ‘Abacus is known for high quality,
robust engineering but often our customer focus was not good enough. We have already implemented several initiatives and processes to ensure that our customer service and delivery is better,’ he said. The strategy for rail clients is ‘very ‘We are going to be
simple’ he said.
closer to our customers and ensure we implement greater investment in product
development. The Abacus Raise and Lower column continues to be a massive success and, in our view, it is still the best in the market. We are investing significantly in product development to offer the innovation that our customers demand. We have dedicated rail experts who work with our customers to make sure that we can accommodate all of the needs of the
particular project.’ Lamb remains unperturbed by the flood of new products similar to Abacus’s own. ‘Competition is a good thing as it keeps us agile. Our columns have been proven for more than 50 years and while a number of ‘me too’ products have recently appeared from our competitors, none of these can match our product strength, versatility and proven track record. We have reviewed all of their features and claims and we are confident that the Abacus product is still superior.’
Abacus products are manufactured in
the UK. The factory in Nottinghamshire is the company’s main facility and where all of its expertise is centred.
Olympic legacy As part of the preparations for the London Olympics, all stations on the network were lengthened to accommodate an extra carriage. As part of this programme of improvements, Abacus supplied around 140 four-metre painted base-hinged lighting columns and brackets to feature on all station platforms. In addition, the firm trained the column-operators in correct maintenance procedures.
The future ‘The outlook is very positive. Our UK business has always been profitable and remains so. In June we achieved our most successful month in the UK domestic market for more than two years. We also continue to secure targeted export projects which are a good fit for Abacus. ‘We have just appointed a highly skilled
new export team. We are well known as the ‘benchmark column’ and as a well- respected high mast manufacturer for the rail industry. Our efforts will continue to strengthen this position,’ he added. With new materials and technologies introduced, the columns can be found in aluminium, stainless steel and with
numerous alternative coatings. • Visit
www.abacuslighting.com Tel 01623 511 111
September 2013 Page 107
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